1957 Silver Hawk

[buddymander]

I just bought a 57 Silver Hawk and the I. D. number is 72o5307-- just like that. Body type model is SPLPSH8. What is this? I know it had a supercharger on it at one time, but it was probably aftermarket. Its a V-8 three speed w/overdrive. Coupe.

[StudeRich]

You are getting that body type/model off of a Title or registration card right? That looks like an abbreviation like: SPL (special) PS H8
Or: (Studebaker President) SP ? ? SH8 (Silver Hawk 8) [?]
I have no idea what that LP is in there, unless its was LP gas Propane powered!

It is a 57H (President 289) C3 (Coupe).

I have car titles that have something like: Commander Regal Deluxe Coupe COMRGDLCP you will not find this stuff on a car though!

The Serial is probably 7285307 or 7205307 miss stamped.


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

[buddymander]

Thanks, Rich. I thought by 57 all the presidents were bigger sedans. So is it really a Silver Hawk or not?

[StudeRich]

quote:Originally posted by buddymander

Thanks, Rich. I thought by 57 all the presidents were bigger sedans. So is it really a Silver Hawk or not?

Because of the 289 Engine, that makes it a "President" it really is not in the Model sense of the name, but the C3 on the firewall tag, along WITH the 57H, will tell you it is (was) a '57 Silver Hawk Coupe with a President "P" code engine, very simple really.

[buddymander]

Oh,you mean the 289 is called the president motor? Hmm... a Special Liquid Propane Silver Hawk 8..sounds pretty good...

[buddymander]

I should have checked the firewall tag. what do the JT cars have for special numbers? OR were the Silver Hawks available with supercharger?

[StudeRich]

Come on Buddy, where have you been for your 958 posts? You know that Jet Thrust Cars are only '63 and '64, and Silver Hawks did not have Superchargers! [:0]

You are not going to tell us that this one came with a 372 Dual Quad Packard Engine and TWO Turbochargers are you? [)]

[buddymander]

No, but, believe it or not, I have reason to believe this car has Bonneville history. I'm wondering how to prove or disprove this. It has a modified thermostat housing that I think was to clear a paxton, and of course I have the unverified story passed down from three previous owners.

[buddymander]

This would have taken place in 1969.

[whacker]

Buddy, it is entirely possible that the car may have had a supercharger at one time. Believe it or not, at one time the supercharger setup was fairly cheap on the used market, and it could have been easily added by a previous owner. It could even have been mounted on there new by a compliant dealer for delivery to the first owner. I'm willing to bet that it didn't come that way from the factory. There are some other tell tale signs you can look for, such as the special water manifold or the extra pulley on the crankshaft, or the special fuel pump.

[buddymander]

Well, it looks like I have some investigating to do.

[buddymander]

Yep Studerich, the cowl tag was 57 H C3, like you said. The number under that is 6624. The trans was in the trunk; T86E-1A. A bunch of trans parts from another that he made one good one from two. The heads I found in the trunk have heart shaped combustion chambers. Will those raise the compression on a 62 full flow 289?

[jeryst]

I thought a supercharger wouldnt fit under a stock Silver Hawk hood.

With a number discrepency like that, is it possible that the car has been rebodied? Although illegal, it still happens on a lot on muscle cars.

[buddymander]

What "number discrepancy" are you talking about, jery? And I think my hood is the same shape as a golden hawk. The thermostat housing was cut in two places and angled, plus the fan shroud was cut as well; I think it was necessary to clear the supercharger pulley. I want to check bonneville and el mirage records for this vin or license number.

[jeryst]

quote:Originally posted by buddymander

What "number discrepancy" are you talking about, jery? And I think my hood is the same shape as a golden hawk. The thermostat housing was cut in two places and angled, plus the fan shroud was cut as well; I think it was necessary to clear the supercharger pulley. I want to check bonneville and el mirage records for this vin or license number.

I guess I misunderstood about the numbers. I thought the numbers were saying that it is a 57 President, not a Hawk.

I asked a question about adding a supercharger to a Silver Hawk a while back. The responses I got suggested that it would be more trouble than it was worth. I believe one of the comments I got was that the supercharger would not clear the Silver Hawk hood unless the motor mounts were altered so that the motor sets lower in the frame. Other comments suggested that many of the other components of the drive train would not be able to handle the additional stress of the supercharger because they were not designed for it.